Means for casting italic type



G. L. CURLE. MEANS FOR CASTING ITALIC TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 7, I920. 1,427,363, Patented Aug. 29, 19225 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

e. L. cunu MEANS FOR CASTING HALIC TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1920.

1 A27, 363, Patented Aug. 29, 1922,

4 SHEETSSHEET 2- win G. L. CURLE.

MEANS FOR 'CASTING ITALIC TYPE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 7. 1920.

1,4g7,3 3, Pafented Aug. 29; 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Davy/0W fed/ye I (211/6 j, 2:}! filvreys G. L. CURLE.

MEANS FOR CASTING ITALIC TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 7. I920- Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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PATENT orrice.

GEORGE L. costs, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FOR CASTING ITALIC TYPE.

Application filed April 7,

proved means for casting italics by auto;

matic or machine actions.

The invention is applied generally to linotype casting machines but in the drawings is illustrated applied to a linotype casting machine of well known commercial liiergenthaler type, and. in the following specification. the invention will be described as applied to such machine.

In a line of properly assembled italics, portions of the letters should overhang portions of adjacent letters. andthis should be done without providing; the matrices with type faces that project beyond the sides of the matrices. Hand type have been provided with overhanging lateral projections. but these are objectionable even. in hand type because they are liable tobe broken oil". and moreover, matrices with such projections could not be used in an automatic machine. Gooditalics cannot be cast from matrices assembled at right angle across the face of the moldv because with such assemblage of the matrices it is impossible to get an overhanging of certain of the characters in respect to adjacent characters. v j I avoid the "above noted objectionable features and obtain with an automatic machine. perfect italics. by a novel scheme and arrangement wh ich,'briefiy outlined. is as follows:

The italic characters on the matrices have theirmajor axes extended parallel to the sides of the matrices and have their m nor portions oblique to the sides of thematrirz. These matrices are then assembled at the mold on lines that are oblique to the face oi respect to the mold. With this arrangespecification of Letters Patent.

1920. Serial No. 371,999.

ment, therefore, the italic characters cast on the linotype slug will be closely assembled, perfectly spaced-and with portions of certain of the italic characters overhanging portions of certain other of the italic characters; ,To illustrate this latter feature in the word Fourth, for example, he top of the capital letter F will overhang a portion of the adjacent letter 0. illustrations might be given, but the above will sullice for the present.

ln the application of my invention to a linotype machine of the Mergenthaler type. for example the first important modifica tion thereof is to providethe vise jaws with matrix clamping faces that are oblique to the longitudinal axis "of the mold sothat' the line of matrices assembled between the jaws at the mold will be set as above stated.

The above modification of the vise jaws makes necessary or very desirable other highly important changes such :t'or example as'a modification of the construction of the space band justification bar. so that the space bands, which. in the above stated manner of assembling of the matrices. will be also set oblique to the mold, Willi when pushed to place, be driven by' a force applied parallel to the major axes of said space bands, so as to prevent handing of the latter. Other 'minor but important features of novelty will also appear 'nrthe following description.

In the accompanying; drawings which Patented Ar 29', 1922.-

Further' illustrate the invention, like ,charactersin dicate like parts throughout the several Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the face Tot the mold wheel and showing; also the mold with some parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is ii-"fragmentary view showing the two vise jaws which. in. said view; however. are adjusted for Roman characters;

Fig. 4 is fragmentary section taken parfallel to-the' side face and approximatelyet the transverse center of the left hand shown in Fig. 3; i

Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1,

jaw

but showing the space band justification bar raised, and the first elevator dropped to position and matrices between the aws' of the vise.

Here it may be stated that Figs. 2 and 5, if placed face to face, would bring the mold into position for the casting of characters on the assembled matrices;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view with some parts sectioned on theline 66 of Fig. l but with some parts shown in full and with the supplemental space band justification bar turned into inoperative position;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of and 5, with the parts shown in said lfiigs. 2 and 5 brought into co-operative position for cast- Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view taken approximately on the l ne 88 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 1s a face elevation of one of the matrices having an italic character thereon designed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 10 is a face elevation of a linotype slug cast in accordance with my invention, the position of the matricesin which the characters were cast being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 1.1 indicates a line printed from the slug shown in F ig. 10, the outline of the slug being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 12 shows assembled italic matrices; and, j

Fig. 13 shows assembled Roman matrices.

The construction and operation of the commercial Mergenthaler linotype machine is well known, and hence, those portions thereof that perform the customary functions and which have relation particularly to my invention, may be briefly described as follows:

The mold, which, except as presently noted, is of the customary .constructi'oi'i, is indicated, as an entirety, by the numeral 12 and the mold wheel which carries this mold in the usual way is indicated by the numeral 13. The numeral 14: indicates a portion of the crucible wall and the numeral 15 the mouth piece thereof, with which the mold is adapted to be aligned in the well 'lmown manner by movements of the mold wheel. The mo'ld 12 is, as is well known, provided with movable right and left sheet liners 12 which are of the customary construction on ceptthat in italics, their ends are made oblique to correspond to the angle or tilt given to the italic matrices when assembled at the mold.

The numeral 16 indicates the so-called first elevator which is provided with the customary head 17 with guide channel for the matrices 18 and justification bands 19. The well known function of this so-called first elevator is tocarry the assembled lino ofmatriccs to and from the mold, and to and from position between the vise jaws.

The said vise jaws are indicated by the numerals 20 and 21, the face of which, as already stated, are in accordance with my invention, made oblique to the longitudinal axis of the mold and, as will presently more fully appear. The vise jaw 21, as is. usual, will be adjustable in respect to the vise jaw 20, so as to obtain the line length desired. It may be further stated that the vise jaws 20 and 21 are carried in the customary way on the vise head 22. j

The space band justificationbar, as shown, is of the customary hflergenthaler type, be ing made up of two parts and 2& connected by dowel pins 25, said bar 23 being dircctly carried on the upper ends of vertical flanges 26 operated in the well known man ner.

Before describing in detail the illustrated arrangement of my invention, attention is called to the manner in which the characters are applied on the matrices, attention being directed preferable to Fig. 9, wherein it will be noted that the capital letter F there illustrated, has its horizontal portions formed oblique to the sides of the matrix 18, as stated in the introductory part of this specification. Also, it will be noted that the channels 18 in which the characters are formed are oblique to the sides of the matrix. Moreover, it should be noted that the upper and lower edges of the ears18 and 18 of the matrices are parallel to the edges of the character channels 18 and hence,

oblique to the sides of the matrix, this be ing, as will hereinafter more clearly appear, to permit the matrices to freely swing in the guide channel of the first elevator into position oblique to the mold.

These oblique edges on the said matrix ears also provide for proper alignment of the characters of the matrices, regardless of varying widths of the matrices.

The matrix engaging face of the vise jaws. as stated. are oblique. They might be made permanently oblique. but inasmuch as it is desirable to make the jaws readily convertible for use either with italics or with Roman characters, I provide an extremely simple means for converting the jaws from the one pur ose to the other; This vise 'aw constructionis best illustrated in Figs. 1 and by reference to which it will be noted that the jaws proper are formed with oblique surfaces 27 and vertical surfaces 28 formed, respectively, with dove-taile grooves 27 and 28, and wedge shaped jaw clips 29 are'provided with dovetailed ribs for engagement. at will, with either of the said grooves 27 or 28. Fig. 1 shows the jaw clips applied so as to make the complete matrix faces of the jaws 20 and 21, oblique to the longitudinal axis of the mold and parallel to each other, while Fig. 3 shows the clips applied so as to make the en 'a in face of the aws vertical and at right angle to the longitudinal 'axisof the mold.

To hold the jaw clips 29 in working position,spring pressedioclrpins-EO are insertedtherein, as shown in lf igfl l in' the vise jaws ad acent to each of the channels 27? and 28, and the ends of these pins are adapted to engagenotchcs in the edges of the ribs of the vise clips 29, and the. ends of these pins are adapted to engagespaced, notches or depressions formed in the s des ofthe channels 27 and 28 To provide, as already generally stated,

for )10361 dri'vin of the soar-e bands to working positions,the spaceband justifica tion bar. is provided with a serrated driving.

surface 31, and preferably, this serrated drivingsurface isformed directly-on a fdetachable supplemental bar 32, having at one edge, projecting ears that are connected at 33 to'ears-of oblique guide bolts 34- mounted of the vise head 22.

Summafl of operation.

'The italic matrices are assembled in the assembler box, not shown, and transferred therefrom to the so-called first elevator in the usual way and by the said first elevator, are lowered between the vise jaws in the customary way, except, that as they are lowered together with whatever space bands may be assembled therewith, will be tilted to oblique positions by the oblique face of the jaws. This tilting of the matrices and justification bands aligns the matrix characters with the mold with the italic characters overhanging, as already stated. The assembled line, upon being dropped between the vise jaws will, of course, hang quite loosely at first, but will be justified when the space bands are forced upward. The forcing upward of the space bands is produced by the customary upward movements of the space band justification bar 23. With this improved and modified arrangement of the said space band justification bar, however, the ratchet-like teeth or oblique driving surfaces 31 of the supplemental bar 82 will engage the lower ends of the space bands; and here it is important to note that the driving surfaces of the said serrations 31 that engage the lower ends of the justification bands standing at right angles to the major axis of said bands. The justification bar 28, it will be noted, is given true vertical move ment, while the supplemental driving bar 32, as it is moved upward, is guided by the oblique bolts 3st which work in the oblique guide sleeves 35 and extend parallel to the obliquely set space bands, so that under said driving movement, the supplemental bar32 will 'be caused'to move toward the right, in

axesf This driving act-ion is important, be-' cause. it prevents breaking of the" space 2 bands. Attention is further called 'to" the fact that the ratchet-like serrations 31., while they positively prevent the lower ends of the space bands from .moving toward the right, in respect to Fig, 5,2after oncebeing eiiga'ged therewith, do not prevent the said bandsfrom slipping toward the left from one to an adjacent oblique'dri'ving surface. 5

Thisfis' also important because," when the space bands and matrices are first'deposited between the jaws, they will be loosely held' and will not be moved totheir final oblique positions until the justification of the line has been nearly completed. This justifica tionof/thdline, as is well known, is, in the li lergenthaler' machine, produced by a progressive repetition upward movements of the. justification bar. The above noted I arrangement of' the driving surfaces there for permits the space bands to shift'slightly and properly arrange themselves justification of the line.

By reference to Fig. 5, which shows the justified line assembled in position for cast-e ing, it will be noted that the oblique char acter channels 1.8 of the matrices are in true alignment and that they extend parallel to the mouth. of the mold, while the characters of the matrices are oblique and in the overhanging arrangement already noted, and which arrangement is essential to the production of gooditalic characters.

Of course, the redistribution of the matrices after casting, is, or may be, as usual in Mergenthaler or other machines of that character and need not be here further considered.

To convert the machine for the customary use it is only necessary to turn the supplemental bar 32 into an inoperative position,

as shown in Fig. 6; to re-adjust the jaw clips 29, to position shown in Fig. 3 which adjustment Fig. 3, again provides the jaws with vertical faces or with faces at right,

angles to the longitudinal axes of the mold;

to substitute for the oblique end liners 12,

- other liners havingthe customary right angle for final end characters of the slugs. If it were not desirable to thus arrange for the proper set ting of the slugs into the end, the customary mold liners having right angle ends, might be employed even in the casting of italic slugs. Obviously, a machine having my invention incorporated therein, as described, may be very quickly andeasily converted, whether, in the cast of italics or in the horizontal work.

What I cla m 1 a 1.. In a linotyp e machine, the combination with a mold, of vise jaws associated with the mold and having matrix engaging faces that are oblique to the mold, and a space band justification bar having a supplemental shifting section formed with serrateddriving surfaces that are at a right angle to the oblique faces of the said jaws, and an oblique bar hifting guide operative on said supplemental bar section to cause the same to move on a line parallel tothe oblique faces of said jaws, in the line justifying action.

2. In a linotype machine, the combination with a mold, of vise jaws associated with the mold and having matrix engaging faces that are oblique to the'mold, a space band justificationbar having a supplemental shifting section formed with serrated driving surfaces that are at a right angle to the oblique faces of the said jaws, and an obliquebar eas s shifting guide operative on said supple mental bar section to cause the same to move on a line parallel to the oblique faces of said jaws in the line justification action, the said supplemental bar sectionbeing movable to and from operative position.

3. in a linotype machine, the combination with a mold, of vise jaws associated with the mold and having matrix engaging faces that are oblique to the mold, a space band justification bar having a supplemental shifting section formed with serrated driving surfaces that are at a right angle to the oblique faces of the said jaws, and an oblique bar shifting guide operative on said supplemental bar section to cause the same to move on a line parallel to the oblique faces of said jaws, in the line justifying action, said supplemental bar being hinged to its oblique guides for movements to and from an operative position on the main justification'bar.

4:. In a linotype machine, vise jaws provided with vertical and oblique surfaces and with wedge-shaped jaw clips, the said jaw clipsbeing shiftable from one position in which they form the jaws with vertical matrix engaging faces, into positions in which they form said jaws with oblique matrix engaging faces.

testlmony whereof I affix my s gnature.

GEORGE L. CURLE. 

